A New War
by Shylael
Summary: A new war has left the hybrid population devastated. The remaining population have gone into hiding, but sometimes it's difficult for a college student to keep a solitary existence.
1. Chapter 1

My very first story, so go easy on me ;)

Let me know if you enjoy it, and if you find any spelling/grammatical errors please let me know! I never find them all :)

* * *

><p><strong>So stay sweetly numb.<strong>  
><strong> Remain lifeless, love.<strong>  
><strong> Stay sweetly numb.<strong>  
><strong> Maintain lifeless love.<strong>

** Stay sweetly numb.**  
><strong> Remain lifeless love.<strong>

** Oh I will be all right...**  
><strong> Just use me, just use me.<strong>

It's been a long time since I've even began to think about trusting someone… and I mean really trusting someone. I trust my friends, I'd trust them with my life, but I wouldn't trust them with my secret… no, I couldn't, or I'd end up as a pet, a plaything, and have nothing left to live for. I sighed into my pillow as I realized that perhaps I never would trust anyone enough to be with them forever.

Things have changed a lot throughout my lifetime. When I was little we were ruled by a leader who believed in equality, who knew that segregating hybrids from humans was wrong and would only cause pain and conflict. Since then there have been two new rulers. The one directly after him was not against equality, but he believed in a separate way for both races. When he was assassinated in the last coup we were given a new leader once more… one who had a deep rooted hatred for all things that were not human. He has ruled over us for over eleven years, and his reign won't end anytime soon. He's intelligent, this man, intelligent and deadly. If there is one thing to be feared in a leader it is intelligence and the moral capacity to be able to lie to his people. He was evil in the eyes of the hybrids, but we had nothing left.

So my family went into hiding. We were important before all of this happened, so we had plenty of people who were willing to help us stay out of the government's sights. When my brother was attacked and thrown into prison one day though, we were terrified. If he let slip his hybrid heritage then we were all doomed, and if he were unconscious for any length of time his condition would be obvious. That's when my parents sent me away. They broke all ties they had with me and essentially erased my existence from their family tree. It was a painful and terrible thing, but it was necessary if they wanted me to survive. They made me promise never to show my true nature to anyone, then sent me off with some people I'd never met before. They knew of what I was, but according to my parents they were friends and would never do anything to hurt me. I cried for a long time after that.

The transition was hard for me. I heard no news from my parents from then on, but one day while we watched the news channel at breakfast I saw a picture of a dead hybrid, one that very closely resembled my brother. The headlines read that 'Hybrids are heading towards extinction at last!' I cried that day and didn't set foot outside the house I'd come to call home for almost three weeks after that. My foster parents knew I wouldn't be able to control my illusion in such an unstable mental state and did not question my need for solitude. I wish that they would have these days, because I effectively secluded myself from all of my peers and made myself and outcast. I would never be able to fit in with any one group of children after that, even through high school and into college.

So now I feel like crying into my pillow in my lonely dorm room. I have no roommate due to my mental condition, and I cannot make any decent friends. My foster parents worry about me vaguely, but they have a new child of their own to shower with concern and affection, leaving me to my own devices. One day perhaps I'll show them that I really don't need them, but that day won't be today.

I usually let my illusion fade while I'm in my room. No one ever comes in without knocking first and I always lock my door behind me. I feel somewhat safe here, as though some sort of protection is cast over the place. I wish I could feel that around others, but even around other hybrids I feel out casted and alone.

Unique hybrids are often not killed like my brother was… many were placed into the black market where buyers could choose their favorites to use for whatever purposes they so desired. Our leader has yet to speak against such actions, but considering how cruel and abusive the owners usually turn out to be I can't imagine why he would be disapproving of the business.

I am not entirely sure where I stand on the uniqueness scale for the humans. I'm not all that special, just a part tiger, part human cross. I have many attributes of both breeds, but my tiger abilities make me a formidable foe when cornered. I've used those abilities when necessary, but they scare me because of what those small things suggest of my descent. I want nothing more than to fit in and have friends at this point in my life, but I know that if I let my guard down, even for a moment, that I could be caged and sold. It's a terrifying existence, and it's how I've lived for almost nine years now.

But then something happened. When I was in my remedial classes on the main campus the other day I was approached by a new student. They asked if they could sit near me, then seemed to try and warm up to me. I was shocked, and judging by the gazes being sent our direction, the rest of the student body was as well.

His name was Grim. He had stunning blue hair and eyes of a similar cerulean shade. He was one of those men who drew women to him like a magnet with his smooth muscle and tall, thick build. His looks were unique enough to draw the attention of everyone else in my class, making me feel more uncomfortable than I have in a while, but at the same time he made me feel a sense of relief. Suddenly I wasn't so unapproachable anymore.

"So, which dorm are you in?" he asked me as he went over a question the professor had assigned for what was probably the third time.

"The farthest south one. I was sort of late enrolling so I got last choice of housing," I said with a shrug, finding myself more talkative than normal.

"Yeah, I guess we're in the same boat there. I'm close by, the next closest one is where I'm at. Rooming with someone called… Renji? I haven't really got to talk to him yet. He's got classes at the oddest hours of the day and night. I didn't even know they had any classes at three in the morning but that's about when he gets in every morning."

I knew the man he was talking about. Loud, irritating and overall stupid. Renji was a huge partier and someone who, frankly, I envied. He was all himself, all the time. He wasn't afraid to get smashed and have a good time doing whatever the hell he wanted, and I wanted to have that fearlessness, that recklessness. I guess that really just goes to show you how dearly I protected my secret.

Over the course of the next couple of weeks Grim and I grew closer than I have ever been to anyone else in my life… excluding my family. I let him come over to my room and see me when I was vulnerable, but there was no way I would show him my secret. It was beyond me how I could be so comfortable with him around, and I often had to remind myself that he was human and I was not. My illusion slipped more than once when we were first growing closer. He'd always notice how I'd draw away from him when it happened, acting abnormally quiet or try ignoring him, but he'd call me on it immediately and I knew I couldn't just cut all ties and go back to what I was before. I had a friend for once in my life since the coup.

It happened one night after Grim convinced me to go out to a party with him. I'd never had alcohol before in my life, and after only a few drinks I was completely smashed. I wasn't sure if it was some sort of plan of his to get me to loosen up, but he'd gotten me some seriously strong liquor in an attempt to do whatever it was he wanted to do. I couldn't focus on my hand in front of my face let alone holding my illusion in place, so when he dragged me out into the alleyway behind the club we'd gone to and started kissing me it completely dissipated.

"What the fuck?" he said, but I just managed to giggle something incoherently.

"Ichigo? Ichigo get it together! Are you a hybrid?" he asked, his voice squeaking in a prepubescent manner as he held me at arm's length and examined me clearly. A nervous hand reached out and brushed timid fingers over the tips of my pointed ears, making me sigh contentedly. I loved the feeling of fingers over my ears…

Shit.

"Take me back…" I gurgled, "Please take me back to the dorms!"

"No… no we can't. Someone will see you!" he hissed, and confusion hit me hard. I couldn't manage to put the illusion back in place, and the alcohol that was still effecting my head had it spinning. He was concerned? He didn't want me to get caught…

"I need… to hide, please," I panted as my vision went black and I passed out.

When I woke up I was in an unfamiliar room with red, satin sheets surrounding me and darkness shrouding the entire place. Luckily I had eyesight that was almost six times better than a humans in the dark so I could still see perfectly in the dim lighting. I took the place in and tried to remember what had happened and why I was here in this strange place. I remembered Grim and going out to party and getting drunk, and then nothing. I reached up to scratch my head in confusion and immediately felt my ears. My tail lashed around me and I remembered.

"Oh no," I mumbled, "What have I done?"

I'd let my guard slip… let someone gain my trust, and now I was going to pay the price. Grim knew I was a hybrid. Surely he would turn me in… if he didn't then he would be punished for harboring a dangerous fugitive, and his family would be put under surveillance and eventually killed off. What had I done?

"Oh good, you're awake!" a deep voice interrupted my thoughts as a familiar form stepped inside the room, his thick silhouette easily recognizable.

"Grim?" I whimpered, and immediately regretted the sound. Why was I acting so pathetic? If I wanted to get out of here I could, I was stronger than him, even though I would never let him know it if I could help it. I wanted to run, wanted to hide as he approached, but I knew that it would only make me hurt more.

"Alright listen, I called my lawyer and told him that I'd caught a hybrid and wanted to obtain ownership over it. I told him I wanted it all to be legal…" he told me, rubbing his hands through his hair in a nervous fashion that I had grown accustomed to over the past few weeks. Except that I'd never seen him this nervous before.

"Ownership?" I said instead of focusing too much on that.

"A lot of people saw you Ichi… especially when you passed out. I had to carry you to the car and you were all loopy and smiling… they called it in, I know that they did, so I did the only thing I could think of to keep you safe," he said, meeting my eyes with surprisingly bright blue ones.

"I… I don't think that even the law can keep me safe… it doesn't necessarily apply to me anymore," I told him, thanking god that my voice didn't crack in fear. How many people had seen? How many had been sober? How many had called me in? This was why I knew that staying secluded was better for me.

"Believe me, I have one of the best lawyers in the world, everything will be fine," he said, patting my head, then tentatively brushing his fingertips over the tops of my ears. I flinched at the action, not wanting him to know how the touch affected me. I felt like a dog… I loved having my head scratch just behind my ears.

"How did this happen to me…" I mumbled to myself as I buried my head down beneath my arms and into my bent knees. Grim stiffened a little bit and I heard him open his mouth and inhale like he was going to speak, but nothing came out. I sighed and sunk down deeper into myself and the bed.

"Hey, Ichi…" Grim said, resting his hand on my shoulder, "This can't be all bad, can it?"

"You have no idea… all the trouble I've gone through, that my family has gone through, all of it is for nothing now. The last thing I ever expected was for you to show up and wriggle your way into my life… now it's all over."

"You couldn't honestly expect to have a real life being the hermit you were. You'd never get a job like that," he told me, trying to break the tension.

"That wasn't the point!" I screamed desperately as I leapt to my feet and looked him in the eye. I knew my face was betraying only desperation and fear, but I didn't know what else to even begin to think.

"Ichi I… I'm so sorry… I didn't mean for something like this to happen, I had no idea," he told me seriously, "But I suppose that really doesn't make all that much of a difference anymore. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I should have respected your boundaries and not have forced you to go out."

"But I had a great time," I almost cried, "I agreed to go and I don't regret the time I had."

"None of it?" he inquired.

"No… none of it," I said confidently, "You showed me that living doesn't mean just getting by, it means having a good time and making the time you have worthwhile. I'm glad that's how it ended."

"Ended? Ichi seriously, I'll keep you safe, I promise!" he said, grabbing a hanging hand and pulling me closer to him. His grip was firm, a great comfort, but it wouldn't last.

"Grim, I'm not exaggerating when I say that even you can't protect me. The human leader wants nothing more than to kill my kind. He's not going to go letting people own hybrids just for the fun of it," I told him as I examined our hands.

"That's not true, it's just not exactly legal yet. I'll make it so that it is though, just trust me," he told me with a smile that was not very convincing. He dropped it quickly.

"I know of the black market and their dealings of my kind, I've done my research. I know that those who treat their hybrid _pets_ like trash are allowed them because they won't last long anyways and there's so little chance of them surviving more than a year that they just aren't threats to anyone. I would hope that you wouldn't be like that Grim, but if you aren't you won't be allowed to keep me," I told him hopelessly.

"Your life is worth far more to me than you seem to believe," he chuckled darkly as he pulled me to his chest and brought our lips together.


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry for the extreme wait on this! Hope it's been worth it :)  
>As usual, let me know what you think and feel free to point out grammarspelling errors if you see them xD

If you can figure out what the quote in bold is from without googling it or otherwise looking it up on line then kudos! Let me know, maybe I can do a oneshot or drawing for you ;) No cheating!

* * *

><p><strong>I realize that the pursuit of peace is not as dramatic as the pursuit of war. And frequently the words of the pursuers fall on deaf ears, but we have no more urgent task. Too many of us think it is impossible, too many think it is unreal, but that is a dangerous, defeatist belief. It leads to the conclusion that war is inevitable. That mankind is doomed. That we are gripped by forces we cannot control. This generation has already had enough of war and hate. For in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet, we all breathe the same air, we all cherish our children's future and we are all mortal.<strong>

I was caught a bit more off guard this time. I vaguely recognized the contact as quick flashes of the night before reminded me that we'd done this already. Regardless of that and the heat that spread across my cheeks I still pushed him away. We couldn't have this kind of relationship… not only were we both male, I was a hybrid and he was a human. It would be frowned on enough that he wanted me as a pet, but if someone found out that we had something more than friendship there would be even bolder opposition. I averted my eyes as he tried to meet them.

"When you said you didn't regret anything, did you remember what happened in the alley?" he asked me quietly, suddenly unsure of himself. It was wrong, didn't fit him and it made me feel terrible. He was supposed to be a strong, bull-headed asshole, not an insecure weakling.

"Vaguely… but you have to realize that any relationship besides friendship would only make your struggle even more difficult. We can't be together Grim, I don't want you to be hurt the way I will," I told him, my hands lingering on his chest as it felt against natural instinct for them to leave without his permission.

"But that's what I want Ichigo…" he said, grasping said hands and holding them tightly.

"You're such a spoiled ass," I laughed, but the tone had no lightness to it and he frowned even more deeply at the noise. I sighed and finally met his burning blue eyes.

"Look, you're the best friend I've ever had, and I mean _ever_ had. You take my shit and toss it back at me and I can do the same without worrying I'll hurt your feelings. It's not that I'm not interested, I just can't see any good coming of it…" I explained, knowing the hurt in his eyes was somewhat reflected in my own. How could I do this to the one person who seemed to care for me more than I had for anyone else?

"I still don't understand why you have so little hope… I'm doing everything I can to make sure you're safe and even my mom is here to help. She doesn't leave her lovely mansion on the beach for just anyone Ichigo, but she did when I told her what had happened," he told me, his hold growing tighter and tighter until I had to wriggle them free, "I really care for you. I've never felt this strongly about anyone else in my life, so could you at least pretend there's some hope? For me?"

"I'm just being realistic Grim…" I whispered, hanging my head again.

"No, you're not. Realistically there is every possibility that this will start a new upward trend. I know you don't necessarily think that being a pet is a good life, but maybe it will be a start towards better things," he told me, his smile only barely reaching his eyes.

"I'd say that would be more of a miracle than a possibility…"

"Don't you have any faith left in humanity?" he asked me in obvious disbelief. That struck a chord rather harshly in my chest.

"Faith in humanity?" I laughed at him in confusion, "Don't you know what humanity has done to my kind? Haven't you watched the news? I know I have, from at least infancy and all that humanity has ever done for us is segregate and discriminate! They've been killing us since our breed was born, fear driving them to get rid of anything new or different. That's how humans have always been and I doubt that one case of love from a human is going to change all of their minds. I do wish it would Grim, I want the world to be happier, for people to be more loving, accepting, even tolerable would be good enough for me, but I've seen too many long years of history that suggest it will never happen. What makes you think that it will?"

He looked at me with sympathy, but that's not what the point of my speech had been and I hoped that he saw that. I'd known him to be surprisingly deep at times so I prayed that this would be one of those for him. I let my fingers brush over his bent knees, reveling in the rough touch of fabric against my now uncensored senses. It had been so long since I'd allowed myself this privilege, so long since I'd seen the world through my real eyes. I'd never trusted anyone around me enough to… and now that I thought about it, I'd never really trusted myself enough to do it either.

That thought had old words and memories swirling through my head from the times when my brother was still alive. He'd always been the strong one, the headstrong one to be more precise. My father was more compelled to teach him how to fight and stand up for himself than he ever had with me. It really shouldn't have been that way, but I'd always been the weaker one, the one who needed to be protected. Granted things had changed when the fighting broke out. While my brother was out fighting my parents were teaching me new techniques and soon they realized that I was just as able as my brother had been. When he was captured though… they stopped teaching me completely. Immediately they had reverted to their 'protect' instincts and told me that I shouldn't be out fighting in a war. I was young, so I knew no one would have let me take on the humans anyways but that didn't mean I suddenly lost the desire to learn. When I was sent to the new family I went to self-defense classes, then eventually karate and some aikido from my foster mother. I was a force to be reckoned with after all of that.

"Humans love confrontation… I know that, perhaps even better than I really should, but I also believe that humans see the flaw in that and that they try to right their wrongs all the time. I speak from experience here. I was a very troubled kid growing up, but when I realized that the habits I had formed were not only bad for me, but bad for everyone I had surrounded myself with as well I tried to fix myself. For the most part I succeeded, but I'm still working on it. I'm sure that this battle will be tough as hell, but I've been there and back and I know that things will change, because life and living _are_ change. We'll make it through this Ichi, I swear by my heart that we will," he told me, his eyes earnest and his voice strong. He really believed in his words, and it made me want to as well. I felt my own voice choke in my throat as I opened my mouth to reply.

"Grim I… I just…"

"Oh Grimmjow is he awake finally?" a feminine voice inquired as footsteps finally registered in my mind. I'd been so caught up in the emotions that I'd let myself ignore any outside distractions. If I let that happen again it could be the death of me and the one I loved. As it was, the woman who entered the room appeared to be of little threat. She kept her distance and observed us for a moment.

"Yeah mom, he is… Ichigo this is my mom, Lisa. She's real nice if you're on her good side," he said with a mischievous smile at said woman. She smiled at me, the genuine relief in her eyes somewhat soothing. She took a step towards us, her blonde hair shifting around her shoulders as eyes that matched Grim's examined the both of us closely.

"I assumed as much when you didn't come back to breakfast. How are you doing sweetheart?" she scolded him lightly before turning her attention to me.

"Alright… I've got a nice headache, but I've dealt with worse before," I said with a weak smile. She nodded, leaving the room without further prompting. I cocked my head in interest and Grim chuckled lightly.

"She treats every ache and pain like they will kill you. No doubt she'll be back shortly with some pills, an orange juice and a few water bottles for you, hangovers are her specialty," he told me with a soft smile as he ran his fingers through my hair. I sighed at the contact, content to simply not pull away.

"How much have you told the lawyer?" I asked him lowly. We needed to get this all figured out if he was dead set on fighting the government.

"I told him I found a hybrid that I want legal possession of. He'll be over later to discuss the specifics of course, but he doesn't know much yet."

"I need to call the school and let them know I won't be returning anytime soon…"

"I should probably do that… and I suppose the lawyer should be told about that as well."

"Well then let me call my parents. They need to go into hiding for sure, which is the worst part about all of this. The main reason for all of my secrecy is that if I were found out… they would be punished and likely accused of being hybrids themselves. They just had a little girl… she was so cute…"

"You're doing it again," Grim commented at he pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and dropped it on my lap.

"What?" I inquired, picking up the device and scrolling through my contacts to find the home phone number. My foster mother would still be at home with the kid at this hour.

"Being all negative. Everything will work out."

I didn't respond as the phone began to ring. One, two, three rings, then a 'hello'.

"Hey mom, it's Ichigo…"

"Oh Ichi, hello sweetheart, how's school?" she asked cheerily.

"Over. Do you remember the Thief?" I asked her. Silence met me on the other end of the line and I knew she'd gotten the message.

"I do… are you sure that he was there?"

"He was alerted…"

"Of course… well sweetheart, I'll have to call you back later, Mila's been crying for a few minutes now and she probably needs a change," she said, an attempt to remain cheery obvious in her voice.

"Alright mom, make sure you call," I replied with a sigh as the call ended with a resolute beep. I had to close my eyes, feeling disappointment well up from the pits of my stomach as I closed the device and nearly threw it across the room.

"What's wrong darling?" Lisa's voice asked me, and I realized that she'd returned with exactly the ingredients Grim had inferred. She placed them all on the bedside table before nearly tossing her son out of the way and hugging me tightly.

"This is not your fault," she told me firmly as I let myself sink into the warmth of her embrace. My arms wrapped around her and I buried myself as I felt warmth seep from my eyes and run down my cheeks. I'd never truly had something like this… I'd never had this kind of love. My mother taught me to be strong, to never show weakness. My foster mother had only held respect and acceptance for me. Now Grim's mother was here holding me, teaching me that love was more than a feeling. It was real, and it was there for those who asked.

"If I'd remained in control this wouldn't be happening… no one would be in danger," I sobbed softly. She ran her hand in soothing circles over my back, warming it pleasantly to the touch.

"Except for you? Sounds to me like you've been in danger your whole life. Why don't you hand the burden over to us for a little while, huh? You deserve a break," she told me gently as the hand that wasn't soothing my back ran delicate fingers through my hair.

I wanted to accept that offer… oh god how I did, but letting this wonderful family take such a huge burden and shoulder it themselves? I could never do that, it was my burden to bare, not theirs, and that's how it should be.

"I couldn't possibly do that to you. Your family could be killed because of me and I could never stomach the guilt if that were to happen. Please, I beg of you, don't try to relieve something so heavy by yourselves," I whispered to her softly. Grim was getting irritated now, not being able to hear what I was telling her from his position where he'd sat up on the ground.

"Sweetheart I'm not an idiot," she chuckled, surprising me thoroughly, "There are many out there who would join a cause to bring back equality and peace to this world. I know most of them, although I'm sure that there are more. No one likes war, and even those who don't necessarily like your kind are getting tired of all the fighting. I'm not alone, and neither is your Grim. We'll get through all this together."

What the hell? I pushed away from her a little bit to look into her eyes. From what I could see there was only honestly there, but how could there be a resistance forming already and I didn't know about it? I know I had hidden my hybridism well… but other hybrids should have been able to see through me easily. Shouldn't I have been contacted?

"Don't be confused, we have very few hybrids amongst us seeing as we are a merely politicians, but we're searching for them as discreetly as we can. Perhaps you could call them out for us?" she asked me excitedly. I shook my head.

"I'm afraid I would be of no use to you Mrs. Ja—"

"Oh honey just call me Lisa or Momma J, that's what Grimmy and his friends do," she said with a sympathetic smile. I let the corners of my mouth turn upwards slightly in acceptance as she leaned over and grabbed the pill bottle she'd brought in.

"Take two of those with your orange juice, then down a water bottle. You should feel better in no time darling. When you're feeling well enough come on down to the kitchen and we can warm you up some leftovers from breakfast," she told me, patting my leg in reassurance before standing and exiting the room. Grim watched her go with slight irritation.

"You gonna be alright?" he asked me as he crawled back onto the bed.

"I sure hope so," I said, my tone lightening somewhat.

"Yeah, me too," he said, his smile concerned, "And your family?"

"They're not my real family, but they're the second closest I had ever had. My parents gave me to them for safe-keeping, but now they need to go into hiding. I told my foster mom, no doubt they'll be leaving soon."

"Will they be safe where they're going?" he inquired.

"Yeah. Even I don't know the location, but it's supposed to be untouchable."

"Good… can't have you stressing over that while the lawyer's here. We're going to need a solid story for him to use," Grim told me as he handed me the glass of orange juice to swallow down the pills in my hand.

"I have to talk to him?" I nearly whimpered before trying to distract myself by swallowing the painkillers.

"Well yeah, he'll need your side of the story as well so he can fabricate something," he said as he took a swig out of one of the water bottles.

"I wish none of this had every happened…" I sighed. Grim stuck me with a fed-up glare as he turned on me, throwing his hands in the air.

"I swear you're like some emo chick Ichi!"


	3. Chapter 3

**I apologize for such a long wait! I'm doing my very best to keep writing, but it seems my muse has been in hiding for quite a while lol. Please enjoy this chapter :D**

* * *

><p>I gave Grim an incredulous stare as he chuckled to himself. He knew me well enough to know that I wasn't a very optimistic person—or hybrid as the case may be—most of the time, yet he still chose to tease me over it. I sighed and rubbed head a little bit before pushing myself off of the bed and standing to stretch.<p>

"Let's go get some breakfast then," I growled at him, but the smile on his face never faltered. I hated to think it, but maybe this wasn't the worst way for things to have turned out.

Grim seemed happy enough to lead me out of the room and down an entirely too long hallway to a grand staircase that lead to the main floor. I had known before that he was rather well off… but this seemed a bit much, especially for the guy I'd grown to know as being an essentialist.

"I'm so glad that headache isn't putting too much of a damper on you," Grim chuckled when he glanced back and noticed my look of awe.

"I just… I didn't…"

"Yeah yeah yeah," he grunted as he grabbed my arm and towed me away. I could hardly take everything in as we flew through hallways covered in beautiful pieces of art and furnished with plush leather furniture. They were all wide enough to have couches and chairs placed around small tables at intervals and still have room for us to walk around them. When we finally came to a set of double, metal doors I managed to snap out of the stupor I was in and realize that we had arrived at our destination.

"Mom!" Grim called out as he pushed me through. Jesus, even this kitchen was massive. Did this family even know the meaning of 'basics'?

"I'm warming up some of the waffles!" she called from somewhere I couldn't pinpoint. Apparently I was the only one though, because Grim headed off to the left without hesitation.

"You want bacon or eggs with them?" he asked me nonchalantly when his mom's blonde hair came into view.

"I… no, that's okay, just the waffles are fine," I replied as I stepped away from him and leaned back on a stainless steel stove.

"'Kay," he said with a shrug as he pulled syrup out from somewhere while his mom was getting the reheated waffles out of an industrial sized microwave. I had a hard time trying not to look around with wide eyes. I knew that I had already made a spectacle of being impressed by the immensity of the house, so drawing more attention to my surprise was probably unnecessary.

"Louis called while you two were getting up, he said he'll be here in half an hour," she said as she handed Grim the plate with my food and put her hands on her hips with a look of satisfaction. I couldn't help but smile a little bit.

"Alright…" Grim mumbled, but his tone was a bit more somber now. I think that it was really beginning to set in and he was realizing that this was going to be a difficult task to accomplish. I immediately opened my mouth to offer my thanks and then leave, but he interrupted me.

"I don't want to hear it, we're going to do this and we're going to kick some fucking ass at it too. I don't care if you're not sure and I don't care if you think it's dangerous because I am sure and I will protect you will my life. I think we owe it to each other to at least try," he told me, his overpowering sense of determination immediately stamping out the spark of trepidation I had. At this point I was sure that if I'd tried to flee he'd have tied me up and tossed me into the dungeon (which I'm sure he had here somewhere…).

"Okay," I breathed, "Alright. We can do this."

"You don't sound very convincing Ichi," he laughed, lifting my mood greatly with the sound. I was amazed how quickly such a simple thing could change the atmosphere. His mom smiled as well, pulling the last stack of waffles from the microwave and handing them to her son.

"Eat fast and then go get changed, you know how that man is about looking presentable," she instructed us as she followed us back through the kitchen and out into a smaller room with a small table and a couple of chair. This seemed a bit cozier than the rest of the house.

"Okay mom," my stubborn friend replied, rolling his eyes, "Are you going to see him with us?"

"Yes, he tends to listen better when I'm there… I think he doesn't always believe that you or your father are serious unless I'm in attendance," she sighed, setting her hands on her hips once more as she watched us sit down and begin eating.

"He really just has a crush on her," Grim whispered to me across the table with a conspiratorial smile. I let loose a huff of amusement at that, I'd seen infatuation like that plenty of times.

"Well, I'll go make some snacks and drinks. God knows we'll need some after he leaves," she said as she flashed us a quick smile before departing rather quickly, heading out another door and back into the mansion.

"Lord knows she's dedicated…" Grim murmured once she was gone.

"She seems great," I replied with a nod.

"Sometimes yeah, but most of the time it's a bit much. Dad was so much the opposite it's amazing he got anything done at all, but then there's a reason I called her and not him," he said as he grabbed a waffle and drenched it in syrup before inhaling it.

"I thought you already ate," I observed as I retrieved a couple of the delicious parcels and began eating as well.

"I was a bit worked up so I couldn't stomach much. Starving now though…" he said around the food stuffed in his mouth. I chuckled lightly as I swallowed my own food and we both fell into silence so that we could finish eating in a timely manner.

I had to reflect on what had happened in the past twenty-four hours as I chewed and swallowed methodically in this mansion… the home of my best friend. How had I gone from a silent, hermit of a college student, hybrid in hiding, to a boy that now had a best friend who would fight for me to at least get the rights of an animal? Yesterday I'd been eating a granola bar in my dorm room, getting ready for my Friday classes at this time, and now I was getting ready to fight for my rights. Where had all this begun changing?

Obviously it was Grimmjow. Before him I'd never dreamt of fighting back against those who oppressed me, mostly because that was how I'd been taught. My real mother and father didn't want me close to the fight, so I'd never even considered trying to change anything. My foster parents deserved security and safety, so I'd tried my best not to endanger them. The moment this blue-haired, stubborn ass of a man inserted himself into my life everything began to change, and now here I was eating breakfast with him and waiting for the lawyer that would, hopefully, set in motion the changes necessary for my kind to begin coming out of hiding.

"What are you thinking about?" my friend asked me as he leaned back in his chair, obviously done with his food for the time.

"How I got here…" I replied after a moment's thought.

"Well in a car obviously," he snorted.

"That's not what I meant dumbass," I retorted, rolling my eyes at him, "What I mean is how I went from a hybrid in hiding to this. How I got to this point in my life…"

"You had me of course. It was obvious you would have kept low and hiding until you were found out without me. I just managed to speed things along," he said with a small tug at the corners of his mouth. Where had I found this guy again?

"I'm still not quite used to the new appendages though…" he mumbled as he examined the ears atop my head. They twitched forward at the attention.

"Frankly neither am I. I've kept them hidden for so long…" I replied, reaching a hand up to rub at them experimentally. I'd trained myself for so long to just ignore them, but now I could even scratch behind them and relieve that seemingly interminable itch.

"Are you fucking purring?" Grim laughed, nearly spitting all of the food in his mouth across the table. I immediately stopped scratching and glared angrily at him.

"I can't purr… no big cat can…" I grumped.

"Hahahahaha! Dude, no, that's hysterical!" he was practically on the floor laughing at this point, having had to lean on the table to support himself as his raucous roaring filled the previously silent mansion. I frowned in irritation even as red began to tint my cheeks.

"Cut it out, it's not that funny you prick," I growled as I tossed a waffle at him. He literally did end up on the ground at this point, clutching his stomach as he tried to control his laughter. Tears were even beginning to form in the corners of his eyes.

"You do realize you're in a very submissive position right now… right? To my kind that practically means 'kill me'," I tried to tell him, but he really wasn't going to have any of it. I had no idea why it was so funny to him… I mean sure, you don't typically catch someone purring –er growling, when they scratch themselves behind the ears, but was it really that entertaining?

He honestly was in a bad position though… even having been in hiding for years it was tempting to just cuff him over the head and give him a well-aimed kick to the gut to get him to shut up. Typically if you're making fun of someone then you're showing dominance, and if you're not then you're taken down a couple of notches if not killed. I had to remember that he wasn't used to this side of me… but I'd have to bring it up later so that it wouldn't happen again.

"Grim, seriously," I growled at him, rolling my eyes in frustration. I was thoroughly surprised by a rough yank to my irritably flicking tail, landing me on top of my friend and knocking the breath out of him. I sighed but had to chuckle anyways.

"You done now?" I smiled down at him. He nodded, but there was still a massive grin on his face even though he couldn't breathe. I didn't quite believe that he was done mocking me for the… purring… but we could handle it later.

"Man, this is gonna be fun," he wheezed when I got off of him and he climbed, shakily to his feet. I figured he'd try and use it against me so I wasn't too concerned. Should he try anything I would show him what being a hybrid meant about physical prowess. I may not be the strongest of my kind, but I was in the running for speed and I was stronger than him, even if he didn't know it yet.

"So… right… we should go change," he laughed, obviously still trying to contain himself. Luckily for him he was doing a good enough job of it… or I would have sat on him again.

"I don't really have any clothes except the ones I wore last night… and as you can see they're not exactly in an acceptable state," I mumbled as I picked at the clothing, stiff from sweat and alcohol from the night before.

"You can borrow something of mine. I'm sure I've got something that will fit you," he replied, waving me off as he turned and headed back into the kitchen with his plate. I followed obediently, swiping one last bite of the food upon it before dumping the contents into a trashcan and the plate into a sink.

"Alright, you need a shower and I need to get some nicer clothes for both of us," Grim said, pretty much to himself, as he led me back out and into the maze of hallways.

Once we'd returned to his room he pointed to a door on the right and I took the hint quickly enough. Stepping through was like moving through some sort of space or dimensional portal, because while his room was an absolute pigsty, the bathroom was a fucking ten by eleven area of pure heaven. A claw-footed tub, sizeable shower, sink and toilet didn't even take up most of the space in the middle, where a small, plush white couch sat. I let the door close behind me as I took in the place, then stepped up to the shower and inspected the numerous dials and handles.

"Just push the button that says start and turn the handle next to it for temperature," Grim's voice spooked me as he dropped a pair of briefs, some jeans and a t-shirt on my head before turning to leave.

"Why does your room look like a tornado went through it, but this place is so nice?" I asked him in complete surprise as I tossed the clothing on the couch and faced him.

"The maid actually cleans in here. She refuses to touch the rest of my room though," he shrugged at me, "Oh, and the towels are under the sink."

I shook my head, mumbling to myself about the stubborn-ass mule I had for a friend as I went about getting ready for my meeting with fate. I could guess that if this lawyer who was coming to interview us didn't decide he could helped that we—or rather I—would be thoroughly fucked. There were a very select few people still alive who believed in trying to create equality for my kind in this world, and if we could get those people to work together then awesome, but it was going to take a lot of convincing on our part to get them there. I tried to take a calming breath as I pulled my filthy t-shirt over my head and dropped it on the floor next to the shower.

I stepped gingerly over to the sink area where Grim had told me the towels were stored and bent to grab one out as I wiggled my hips out of the skinny jeans that were stuck to me with sweat and grime from last night. I straightened slowly as they fell, allowing my muscles to stretch and contract in a very pleasurable manner.

"No need to tease Ichi, I already know what I'm missing out on!" Grim almost hissed as he stalked through the bathroom over to where the toilet sat in a closed off section.

"Wha—I didn't know you were in here!" I snarled in defense as I whipped open the towel in my hands and covered myself quickly enough. I could have sworn I heard a chuckle, but it came off as more of a growl so I tried to forget about it as I fought off the blush that was reddening my cheeks.

"Hurry up and shower, I just need to piss and I'll be out of your way," he told me through the door to the toilet. I huffed, considering what to do. I certainly didn't want to be naked and in the shower when he left… but it was going to awkward regardless.

I grumbled, conflicted, but in the end I decided that I couldn't waste any more time. I needed to give a good first impression to the lawyer and being late wouldn't accomplish that in any way, so I stepped over to the shower, opened it up and stepped inside. The dials and knobs were confusing at first, but Grim had made it sound simple, so I looked for the start button first.

I couldn't understand why anyone would need such a contraption to clean themselves, it was completely unnecessary. I was about to give up when Grim's voice stopped me.

"Over on the left, it's a big green button. The temperature control is right above it," he said as he obviously left the room. I calmed somewhat, knowing he would be seeing me naked, and stepped to the left, glancing at the buttons there. Oh.

"Thanks!" I called as I stripped out of my underwear and tossed them with the other articles of dirty clothing before thoroughly closing myself in the excessively complicated machine. I set the warmth to a medium level and hit the start button.

The water didn't need time to warm up, which was a welcome idea as I stepped underneath the dripping shower head. A little more power behind the water would have been more efficient, but it did the job well enough. I used some of the shampoo on the floor in the corner of the shower and lathered it into my hair around my ears before rinsing. I then scrubbed the grime off of my body and lathered some of the body wash into the fur of my tail and the tops of my ears. Knowing I didn't have time to really thoroughly enjoy the warm water I quickly turned it off and nabbed the towel from the floor just outside the shower door and began to dry off. A quick ruffle of my hear and ears and a wipe down of the rest of my body was done… but I couldn't shake the urge to send a quivering wiggle down my spine, spraying any leftover water onto my tiled surroundings. I could only shake my head in disbelief, after so long, even a simple habit felt amazingly good.

"Almost ready?" Grim called from his room. I hurried over to the pile of clothes I was to wear and began to pull them on.

"Yeah, five minutes!" I called as I pulled on a black, collared shirt that had to be two sizes too small for the bigger male, and a pair of boxer briefs that he had to reassure me were clean. The pants were where I was really worried. I had fairly small hips, but he said he could give me a belt if they didn't fit well enough. I hopped into them and immediately knew that such an accessory was going to be necessary, but the khaki skinnys were tight enough in the legs that they were comfortable and the length was fine.

"Extra toothbrush?" I called.

"Under the sink next to the towels!" he replied quickly enough. I found a few spares still in their packaging and wondered absently why he didn't use one of those instead of the chewed up one he had in the stand next to the faucet. I shook the question quickly and proceeded to brush my now shining white teeth. The canines were considerably bigger than when I had an illusion over them, but Grim's could compare… his were pretty big for a regular human.

With a quick rinse and spit I finished up and exited the bathroom to find Grim pulling on his own navy blue shirt. I only caught a quick glimpse of his lower torso, but I already knew that he was completely ripped. I had to glance down at my bare toes for a moment to let him smooth his shirt out so that I wouldn't make my interest obvious.

"Alright, I'm sure he's here by now. Mom's probably entertaining him to no end though," he chuckled lightly as he met my gaze, "You need a belt. We'll skip the shoes today, I'm sure he'll be fine if we do, we are in my house afterall."

He kept mumbling to himself as he walked into his closet and began rifling through his clothing. The small room was a big a mess as the rest of his domain, that much I could tell from where I was, so I remained in place until he reappeared with a brown, leather belt. I nodded in thanks when he tossed it to me and proceeded to feed it through the appropriate loops.

"Ready?" he asked me with a characteristic grin. I had to return the gesture.

"As I'll ever be," I replied. Hell, if I was going to do this I might as well be in a good mood about it.


End file.
